NSTA WebNews Digest

Science News: Space Science

Malfunction Imperils NASA Mission to Find Other Earths

5/15/2013 - The New York Times
If engineers cannot restore a mechanism that keeps the Kepler spacecraft’s telescope pointed, one of the most romantic and successful of NASA’s missions could come to a premature end.

Space-Tourism Firm Virgin Galactic Goes Supersonic in Rocket Test

4/29/2013 - Los Angeles Times
British billionaire Richard Branson’s commercial space venture Virgin Galactic got one step closer to carrying tourists into space when a test pilot cracked the sound barrier over the Mojave Desert. For the first time, the company's SpaceShipTwo engaged its rocket motor and sped to Mach 1.2 and reached 56,000 feet in altitude.

Two Promising Places to Live, 1,200 Light-Years From Earth

4/19/2013 - The New York Times
Astronomers working with NASA’s Kepler mission said Thursday that a pair of newly discovered planets in the constellation Lyra appear capable of supporting life.

Scientists Develop Fusion Rocket Technology in Lab—and Aim for Mars

4/8/2013 - NBC News
Researchers at the University of Washington say they've built all the pieces for a fusion-powered rocket system that could get a crew to Mars in 30 days. Now they just have to put the pieces together and see if they work.

Monkeys in Space: A Brief Spaceflight History

1/29/2013 - Scientific American
SA takes a look at simian astronauts over the years.

Europe's Mercury Mission Takes Shape

11/21/2012 - BBC News
Europe's mission to Mercury is going to have to survive scorching temperatures if it wants to unravel the planet's many mysteries.

Big News From Mars? Rover Scientists Mum For Now

11/20/2012 - NPR.org
Scientists working on NASA's six-wheeled rover on Mars have a problem. But it's a good problem. They have some exciting new results from one of the rover's instruments. On the one hand, they'd like to tell everybody what they found, but on the other, they have to wait because they want to make sure their results are not just some fluke or error in their instrument.

NASA's Mars Rover Ready to "Drive, Drive, Drive"

9/13/2012 - Reuters
The Mars rover Curiosity was due to wrap up an exhaustive, weeks-long instrument check on Thursday, clearing the way for its first lengthy drive to determine whether the Red Planet has ever been hospitable to life, NASA officials said.

Will.I.Am's 'Reach For The Stars' To Debut On Mars, Obviously

8/28/2012 - Huff Post: Education
From the files of what will they think of next, singer-songwriter-producer will.i.am will debut his next song on Mars. NASA announced the news itself via press release on Friday.

Astronaut Neil Armstrong Dead at 82

8/26/2012 - USA Today
U.S. Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man ever to walk on the moon, has died at age 82. Armstrong was commander of the Apollo 11 mission that made the first manned moon landing on July 20, 1969. He radioed back to Earth the historic news: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

NASA Selects InSight Mars Mission After Curiosity Rover

8/21/2012 - BBC News
Just two weeks after landing its Curiosity rover on Mars, the US space agency has announced it will send another robot to the planet in 2016.

Mars Rover Curiosity Ready for Test Drive

8/21/2012 - Discovery News
After acing a steering test, NASA's new Mars rover will go for short drive on Wednesday, its first move since reaching the Red Planet on Aug 6.

Starstruck: Three Little Exoplanets All in a Row

8/21/2012 - TIME
Not all solar systems are as tidy as ours, but a new discovery means we're not quite so alone anymore.

Ohio Astronaut Neil Armstrong Has Bypass Heart Surgery

8/8/2012 - wkyc.com
The first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, is recovering from bypass heart surgery Wednesday. He is reported to be in goodspirits and, according to his wife, Carol, "He's doing great."

Crazy Smart: When A Rocker Designs A Mars Lander

8/7/2012 - NPR
NASA engineer Adam Steltzner led the team that designed a crazy new approach to landing on Mars.

Discovery of Fifth Moon Reignites Pluto Planet Debate

7/12/2012 - NewScientist
Pluto may not be a planet any more, but the discovery of its fifth moon means it can boast more satellites than the inner four planets combined. The finding could reignite the debate over the icy rock's planetary status—or lack of.

China Astronauts Complete Successful Space Docking

6/18/2012 - Reuters
Chinese astronauts carried out a manned docking with an experimental space module on Monday, the latest milestone in China's ambitious campaign to build a space station.

Private Sector Edges Deeper in Space

5/14/2012 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
A planned launching this weekend, if successful, would be a victory for private companies trying to make their mark in space.

AUDIO: Academic Minute: Picking a Crew for Mars

5/7/2012 - Inside Higher Ed
In today’s Academic Minute, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Jason Kring discusses the known and unknown challenges of long-term space flight.

Icy Alpine Caves Setting for Mars Mission Tests

5/1/2012 - Reuters
Scientists were out of this world on Tuesday about tests in icy Alpine caves of the technology needed for a mission to Mars one day.

Researchers Unable to Revive Europe's Envisat

4/23/2012 - ScienceInsider
Things are not looking good for Europe's flagship Earth observation satellite Envisat. Ground controllers lost contact with the craft on 8 April and so far have been unable to re-establish contact.

Mercury Has Been 'Dynamic World'

3/21/2012 - BBC News
The planet Mercury was once an active and dynamic planet, according to new evidence from a NASA spacecraft.

Orion Nebula Shows Us How Stars Are Born

3/1/2012 - The Christian Science Monitor
A joint project of the Herschel and Spitzer space telescopes show rapid changes in brightness in the star nursery in the Orion constellation.

Astronomers Say Galaxy May Be Awash with Homeless Planets

2/27/2012 - Voice of America News
Astronomers say the Milky Way may be swarming with nomad planets wandering through space instead of orbiting a host star, and that the galaxy may have a greater number of unmoored planets than stars.

50 Years Later, Celebrating John Glenn’s Feat

2/15/2012 - The New York Times (requires free registration)
The astronaut’s first orbit of Earth—50 years ago this month—revived national morale and hope.

Sponsored by:

All